US2774406A - Metal container body sizer - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 18, 1956 T. A. MCCOY METAL CONTAINER BODY szzsa 2 SheetsShe et 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1954 Dec. 18, 1956 T. A. MCCOY 2,774,406

METAL CONTAINER BODY SIZER Filed Jan. 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v Tbomasfl. M Coy 21492; YULAJEI 2,774,406 Patented Dec. 18,1956

METAL CONTAINER BODY SIZER Thomas A. McCoy, Stockton, Calif., assignor to Carando Machine Works, Stockton, Calif., a partnership Application January 14, 1954, Serial No. 404,073

3 Claims. (Cl. 153-48) This invention relates to the 'manufactureof cylindrical metal containers such as drums, the-bodies of which are of course made separate from the ends.

It has been 'found that very frequently the bodies, as they are turned out, are not entirely accurate as to their diameter, being smaller than they should be, and this makes it hard to secure the ends onto the same with the proper tight fit.

It is therefore the major object of this invention to provide a mechanism whereby metal container bodies which are slightly under size may be easily, quickly, and accurately expanded to the proper size, so that no difiiculties are thereafter encountered in mounting the ends on the bodies.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a metal container body sizer which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable metal container body sizer, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear from a perusal of the following specification and claims.

in the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagram of the machine used in connection with the body expanding shoes, with the latter in the position occupied before the body is expanded, and showing such body in position for expansion.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the body expanding shoes within the body and in interlocked relation with each other, and before the shoes are expanded.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the shoes moved to the body expanding position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged end View of the cam, slide, and shoe unit with the shoes expanded.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a pair of cooperating shoes, detached from the slides and in separated relationship.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the shoes shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on line 77 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, on a reduced scale, on line 8--8 of Fig. 4. 7

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the mechanism for expanding a cylindrical open-ended metal body 1 consists essentially of a pair of opposed cooperating units 2 and 3, whichas a whole-are identical to each other, so that a description of one unit will sufiice for both.

The unit 2 comprises, as a core, a multi-sided plunger cam 4 of frusto-pyramidal form in section, as shown in Fig. 4. Slidably engaging the various sides 5 of the cam, and somewhat longer than said cam, are radiating slide members 6, yieldably held together by helical tension springs 7 countersunk in circumferential slots 8 in the slides and embracing all the slides as endless resilient bands.

'2 The outer faces of the slides are preferably flat and parallel to the cam faces 5, and resting thereon are the body engaging shoes 9. These are as wide as the slides and at both ends overhang or extend beyond the same some distance; the shoes 9 being somewhat longer than half the length of body 1. The shoes are removably secured to the slides by countersunk bolts 10 (see Fig. 8) so that shoes having different thicknesses, radially .of the unit, may be mounted on the one slide assembly, as the diameter of the bodies 1 being operated on may require.

The outer faces of the shoes are curved so that when expanded, they will properly fit the body 1. Each shoe 9, at the end thereof facing the corresponding end-of the alined shoe 11 of the other unit 3, is formed at the sides with longitudinal, transversely spaced chisel-shaped extensions 12 whose outer faces slope radially inward, as shown, and adaptedto 'fit in'similarly spaced recesses 13 formed in the sides of each corresponding shoe 11. Each such shoe 11 in turn is formed 'with a central chiselshaped extension 14 whose outer face slopes radially inward and is adapted .to fit in a similarly shaped socket 15 in shoe 9 between portions 12.

By reason of this arrangement, the extensions of both shoes, when said shoes are separated, provide leads for easy entry of the shoes into and along the body 1 as the units 2 and 3 are moved toward each other. When the opposed shoes have moved toward each other until the extensions 12 and 14 are fully engaged in the corresponding recesses 13 and sockets 15, the shoes 9 and 11 present a continuous unbroken surface along their outer face, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the body 1 is smoothly engaged throughout its extent.

The slides of the two units 2 and 3, and the cams thereof, are arranged in connection with a body and operating mechanism of suitable character, preferably as shown in the copending application of J. P. Calcaterra, Serial No. 314,190, filed October 10, 1952, now Patent No. 2,720,241, granted Oct. 11, 1955, and which is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 1-3.

Such mechanism consists essentially of opposed relatively movable body structures 16 and 17 in which units 2 and 3 are mounted; said structures confining the slides of said units against other than radial movement. The plunger cams 4 of the units are disposed with their small ends facing each other, and said cams are mounted for axial or lengthwise movement in the body structures on rods 18. Longitudinally adjustable connecting rods 19 are connected to rods 18 and to rotary cams 20 in eccentric relation to the axial shafts 21 thereof. The cams 20 are engaged by rollers 22 mounted on the body structures, said cams being arranged so that said body structures, and the units 2 and 3 therein, will be moved lengthwise from a separated position such that a body 1 may be initially placed between the units, as shown in Fig. 1, to a close-together position such that the shoes 9 and 11 are in interlocked relation, as shown in Fig. 2. With each full revolution of cams 20, which are of course connected and driven in unison, the body structures are moved through the above described stroke, and back to a fully separated position.

The stroke of rods 19 is so related to that of the body structures that as the latter approach each other, the plunger cams 4 move at the same speed, and do not alter their position relative to the slides until the shoes 9 and 11 are interlocked. Then, while the body structures are dwelling, the plunger cams -4 are advanced with the completion of the connecting rod stroke. This of course shifts the slides and shoes outwardly so that the body 1, in which the shoes are then fully disposed, is expanded, as shown in Fig. 3. With continued rotation of the cams 20 to complete the revolution thereof, the plunger cams are first retracted, allowing springs 7 to contract the shoes and slides clear of the expanded body 1. This is followed by separating movement of the body structures to a position clear of the container body 1 so that the latter may be Withdrawn from the machine and another one placed in position'for expansion. i

From the foregoing description it will 'be' readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects of theinventiongas setforth herein.

' While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations therefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A device for sizing an open-ended cylindrical container body by expanding the same, said device comprising a pair of opposed alined units relatively movable toward and from each other into and out of the body to be sized from the ends thereof, and means to so move the units; each unit including a plurality of shoes, longitudinally fiat on their outer faces, and arranged in a circumferential row to fit into the container body before the latter is expanded and means to move the shoes radially whereby to expand the same; the shoes of the two units meeting each other in end to end alinement when the units are fully moved toward each other and together having a length not less than that of the body.

2. A device, as in claim 1, with chisel-shaped exten-- sions on the shoes at their adjacent ends, with their outer faces sloping inwardly from the fiat faces thereof, to provide leads for the shoes upon entering the body.

3. A device as in claim 2, in which the corresponding opposed extensions of the shoesof the tWo units are disposed in transversely spaced relation to each other, each shoe having a recess positioned to fully receive the extension of the opposed shoe when the shoes are. moved to their limit of approachwhereby the outer faces of the shoes will then form a continuous unbroken surface for engagement with the container body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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